These 5 Short Movies Deserve To Be Made Into Feature Films

Have you ever finished watching something so good that you immediately wanted more? That's exactly how we feel about some short films. These small works often pack more creativity and innovation into their brief runtimes than many feature-length productions manage in hours.

And we know that turning them into feature films is possible, because we have a lot of successful movies that followed the route of short-to-feature adaptations. Whiplash (2014), before becoming an Oscar-winning phenomenon, started as a 18-minute short. The whole franchise of Saw began with just 9 minutes of the story.

The movies we're going to talk about today deserve to be made into feature films not because they lack anything, it's quite the opposite. These films are so rich in their concepts and execution that they've created worlds we're desperate to explore further.

A Steampunk Romance That Captures Death Itself

Every once in a while, a film comes along that makes you question reality itself. Death of a Shadow (2012) is exactly that kind of experience.

A soldier-turned-photographer captures people's shadows at the moment of their death. He's working for a mysterious collector of shadows. And his only motivation is a chance to see the woman he fell in love with moments before his own death.

It's a story of life and death, love and jealousy, hope and despair. Every single thing in this short is handled with so much love and thought we can't help but want more.

It has everything you need for a feature film. It has great visuals, and, most importantly, rich, unexplored mythology.

The mechanics of shadow-capturing, the rules of the afterlife, and the moral implications of playing with death – there's so much more to discover here. A full-length version could dive deeper into these elements, but one can only dream, right? Sigh.

A Western That Unapologetically Breaks the Fourth Wall

Yep, in this Western, characters can actually hear the narrator.

The Gunfighter (2013) takes this brilliant premise and runs with it, creating one of the most entertaining short films we've ever seen.

We have a typical saloon scene, a mysterious gunslinger walks in, and then the narrator starts describing what's about to happen. But, as already mentioned, everyone can hear him. The whole thing spirals into hilarious chaos.

And the best part about the movie is that the Narrator is voiced by Nick Offerman, who we all know and love from his role as Ron Swanson in Parks and Rec.

We can't think of a better successful movie recipe than this. This concept screams for a feature-length treatment. We could easily see this as a whole comedy franchise set in different time periods. Deadpool who?

The Most Unsettling Cat Story You'll Ever See

No cute cats here, just pure nightmare fuel (in the best possible way).

The Cat With Hands (2001) was born from the recurring nightmare of the director's sister. This uncanny stop-motion follows a cat who is collecting human body parts. The cat's mission is to become fully human by collecting body parts one by one.

This short film is so compelling in how it takes a simple premise and turns it into something truly unforgettable. The mix of folklore horror and body horror creates a unique vibe that stays with you long after watching.

A feature-length version could explore the origin story of this creepy creature, maybe even dive into some dark fairy tale territory. It could be something like Pan's Labyrinth (2006) meets The Thing (1982), but with a pinch of British folk horror.

Time Travel Meets Post-Apocalyptic Comedy

Time Trap (2013) proves that 8 minutes is all you need to create a sci-fi world.

When a space wanderer crash-lands on a ruined future Earth, he discovers he can't leave. That's why he needs to use his time traveling abilities to find his way back home.

This is a survival story that has a unique blend of humor and sci-fi adventure.

If this got turned into a feature film, there's so much potential to explore this post-apocalyptic Earth and all the wild time-bending shenanigans our hero could get into. And just think of all the other stranded time travelers he could meet!

A Story About the Power of Simple Kindness

Validation (2007) is a kind and heart-warming movie that can make a difference.

The story follows a parking attendant who gives out genuine compliments and spreads joy to everyone he meets. When he encounters someone he can't make happy, his world is shaken, but karma has a way of coming full circle.

It's definitely a feel-good movie and a reminder for all that simple acts of kindness can be very powerful.

Validation deserves to become full feature just because we rarely get these kinds of stories nowadays. It became too dramatic and serious all of the sudden. And we all could use a movie that reminds us how a little bit of genuine human connection can make everything better.